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For R.E.M. Fans, Tunes May Linger But Trestle Faces Day of Reckoning

Rotting Railway, From Iconic Back Cover, Divides Music Purists and a Town

By

Cameron McWhirter

February 6, 2012

ATHENS, Ga.—In a verdant park tucked away in this southern college town sits a partially demolished railroad trestle. Strands of dead kudzu hang from its log supports. Parts of the wood crumble to the touch.

Abandoned as a working rail bridge in 1984, the rotting monster would have faced its reckoning long ago were it not for a random photograph that transformed it into a shrine for devoted fans of legendary rock band R.E.M.